Decluttering my closet is one of the areas I struggle the most to write about.
Clothing can be so personal and have many emotional ties. Sentimentality, emotional baggage, and insecurity—all of these feelings can come to the surface when we’re dealing with our wardrobes, and it also means that there’s not necessarily one decluttering method that will work for everyone.
Whether you enjoy showing off your personality through fashion or you view clothing as purely utilitarian, your clothing should properly serve that purpose.
If you’re planning to refresh your wardrobe, try the No Mess Method—I just used this method in a previous blog to declutter my entire home! Grab a trash bag and a donation bin so you can easily get rid of items. No mess, no fuss!
In previous posts and seasons that I’ve decluttered my closet, I’ve tried the method of removing everything and putting it in a massive pile. This time, I’m trying a gentler and less overwhelming way—let’s try the packing method together!
Packing for Everyday Life
For this decluttering method, we’re going to pretend we’re packing for a trip for our everyday life. This technique helps us focus on only what’s essential!
Start by thinking through your daily and weekly activities. What types of activities are you currently doing? Where are the places you go every week? Are any of these activities going to change in the near future?
When I pack for a trip, I choose the items in my closet that I love the most, that I know fit me well, and are comfortable for the activities that we’ll be doing. So why shouldn’t my everyday closet/wardrobe reflect that too? If it helps, grab a piece of paper to make some notes or just envision what a typical week looks like for you.
For myself, I need outfits for hanging out at home or doing errands, working out, working on yard projects and outdoor chores, and attending church. These are pretty broad categories, but feel free to get as specific as you need!
With that in mind, start by laying out the items that are your favourite to wear for the activities listed above. First, I’ll start by taking out the “uniform” I wear each day—these include my favourite pair of blue jeans, a black pair of leggings, a black tee, a yellow tee, a grey sweatshirt, and a black hoodie.
Next, I’m focusing on my workout clothes—my favourites are a pair of shorts and 2 t-shirt workout tops.
The next category of activities is for outdoor chores and yard projects—I have a pair of old jeans, quilted leggings, a pair of overalls, a fleece, a thick flannel, and 2 thermal shirts. I had been using the quilted leggings, the flannel, and 2 thermal shirts for winter, so I packed those away in a seasonal bin.
The next category is clothing for attending church. I like to have a couple of dresses, a skirt, a nice pair of pants, a jean jacket, and a couple of tops to choose from. I also use the clothing in this category interchangeably for special events (i.e., bridal or baby showers, birthday parties, etc.) and hanging out with friends or family.
Now that I have laid out these go-to items, I’ll see if there’s anything I want to add to my weekly rotation. I ended up adding a tank top and another tee to my daily uniform category, a pair of lavender leggings to my workout category, a t-shirt and long-sleeve shirt to my outdoor chores category, and switched out the 2 dresses for others from my seasonal bin that were more suited to the summer weather.
As you’re adding items, remember to ask yourself whether they’re worth the time and energy to maintain, manage, and store.
Now it’s time to take a look at what’s left in my closet. Everything that’s left should be donated, thrown away, or packed away in a seasonal bin.
Let’s Be Realistic
I’m trying to be more honest with myself when it comes to my closet. We live on an acreage with animals, long winters, crazy spring weather, and outdoor chores. The clothes I have to get these things done don’t have a cohesive aesthetic. I’m letting myself be okay with not living up to trendy aesthetic standards because what I do have is a closet that’s functional for my season of life.
The whole point of minimalism and living simply is to give yourself more time for the things you love—NOT to stress about how many shirts you own or whether it fits on one clothing rack!
In the past, I’ve been really strict with the number of items I owned. Now, I’m choosing to give myself grace instead.
From someone who’s been way too hard on herself in the past, don’t stress about numbers or labels. Choose the stuff that lets you live peacefully and let go of the rest.
Little Minimalist on the Prairies 